Carpet-sweeper



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REUBEN SHALER, OF MADISON, CONNECTICUT.

CARPET-SWEEPER.

Specicaton of Letters Patent No. 21,451, dated September 7, 18581.

T o all whom it may concern:

nBeV it known that I, REUBEN SHALER, of Madison, in the county of NewHaven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain Improvements inMachines for Sweeping Carpets, the construction and operation of which Ihave described in the following specification and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings with suiiicient clearness to enable competent andskilful workmen in the arts to which it pertains or is most nearlyallied to make and use my invention.

My said invention consists in, first, the combination of a cylindricalbrush the bristles of which are inclined at an angle of about forty fivedegrees from a radial line passing directly outward from the center ofthe axis of thel brush, with a traction roller in the construction of amachine for sweeping carpets, as hereinafter more fully set forth.Second, in the construction here` inafter described for the tractionroller by which a certain and efficient traction and adhesion combinedwith a smoothness of action is secured at a trifling expense.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectionof my machine, showing the manner in which the parts are arranged. Fig.2 is a plan of it. Fig. 3 is a View of part of the brush, showing itpartly in section, and partly in elevation, the object of this figurebeing to show the construction of the brush.

A is the brush. It is formed by attaching bristles around a roller B ina spiral form as shown, by first turning a helical groove Z) in t-heroller and doubling the bristles upon a wire c or its equivalent and byit drawing them into the groove around the roller, the wire beingfastened at its ends to secure the bristles A in place. The groove b ismade in such a manner as to give the bristles an inclination bet-Ween aline drawn parallel to the axis of the shaft and a radial line passingupward from said axis. The object of this arrangement is to allow themto yield more readily to the pressure of the carpet; the construction ofthe parts being such that the inclination of the bristles and thespirality of the rows upon the cylinder B both combine to produce such aresult.

The brush is revolved in the direction indicated by the arrow and thelead of the spiral is such as to cause this direction of rotation todraw the bristles of which the brush is composed alongthe carpet insteadof thrusting them into it. The traction roller D is made by winding astrip of india rubber spirally around a roller of wood or other suitablematerial, which construction gives a greater adhesion by means of thecontinually inclined edges of the spiral strip of rubber acting upon thecarpet, which gives a very much greater adhesion than would be realizedif the roller was made by using a sheet or strips of rubber passingdirectly around the roller. It is not admissible in this place to use alarge roller, and unless a strong traction cam be secured the brush willnot be operated and the rest of the machine however good in itself wouldbe worthless.

The particular improvements which constitute my said invention and whichI claim as having been originally and first invented by me arel. Thecombination in a machine for sweeping carpets of a brush the bristles ofwhich are set at an angle of about forty live degrees from a radial linepassing d1- rectly outward from axis, constructed substantially asdescribed wit-h a traction roller, substantially as, and for thepurposes set forth.

2. The construction of the traction roller of a sweeping machine in themanner described; that is to say, by winding a spiral flange of indiarubber or other flexible and adhesive substance around a cylinder as setforth, by which a very powerful adhesive traction of said roller isinsured, and the roller is much more cheaply manufactured than anequally efficient one could otherwise be.

REUBEN SHALER.

Vitnesses Trios. P. How, JAMES H. GRIDLEY.

